The Heroine Fell Deeply For Her [Quick Transmigration] 217

Chapter 217: What’s This About Marrying First and Loving Later? 2

Perhaps it had been too long since she had seen such a pure fool. The crimson figure floating in midair slowly landed, standing amidst a field of red candles.

Her deep red robes trailed on the ground, her figure tall and slender. She resembled a lady from an ancient painting, eternally existing within time, unchanged by its passage.

Tao Ning’s gaze shifted from looking up to level, her eyes meticulous. Her sight swept across the other woman’s features, from the corners of her eyes and eyebrows, slowly downwards, pausing at her chin before meeting her bewitchingly black eyes.

She looked exactly as she had imagined.

The cave was empty and silent, the candle flames still. The most prominent sound was Tao Ning’s breathing.

Because Xuan Miao had no heartbeat or breath, she didn’t need them.

Not only was Tao Ning observing her, Xuan Miao was also constantly scrutinizing her, a ripple appearing in her eyes before quickly subsiding.

Nothing could disturb the emotions of a Ghost King who had existed for hundreds of years. Xuan Miao’s curiosity towards her was fleeting, eventually returning to calmness.

Every thirty years, she would awaken for seven days, and the entrance to the cave would appear in the depths of the bamboo forest.

But no one had ever dared to step into the bamboo forest. Even if someone stumbled in by accident, they would stop at the cave entrance, yelling about ghosts and fleeing in panic. Afterwards, no one would approach this area again.

She didn’t know what the people outside said about her, but it certainly wouldn’t be anything good.

Even if she knew, Xuan Miao wouldn’t care. She couldn’t remember why she was here, nor why she was trapped in the deep pool, like an unnoticed red mushroom, growing in a cave where no one cared.

Over time, no one would venture into the depths of the bamboo forest.

Sometimes, upon awakening, Xuan Miao could sense people moving around the periphery. They would cut down bamboo and leave quickly, as if some terrifying beast would pounce out and take their lives at any moment.

It went without saying that there must be various rumors about her down the mountain, causing everyone to avoid this area, except for the one before her.

—An audacious, strong, and intellectually questionable village girl.

Another thirty years had passed, and the day of Xuan Miao’s awakening was approaching. While her consciousness was hazy, she noticed someone walking in the bamboo forest.

At first, Xuan Miao found it troublesome and tried to drive the person away, but the other party, like a small beast charging forward, barged right in front of her.

They accidentally destroyed the formation and released her.

To be honest, Xuan Miao remained silent because she was still a bit confused, unsure how to deal with the person in front of her.

The two stood facing each other.

One in simple long-sleeved shirt and pants, the other in wide robes and large sleeves, with long flowing hair. Neither spoke first.

A row of red candles separated them, like an insurmountable chasm.

“You…” Tao Ning seemed to have touched something with her foot. Looking down, she saw a row of candles and, without thinking, kicked a path for herself.

The chasm was thus broken by a kick.

The candle flames reflected in Xuan Miao’s eyes fell again: “…”

It was hard to imagine that the great formation that had sealed her for so many years was destroyed by kicks, unable to trap her any longer.

Faced with this sudden enthusiasm, Xuan Miao floated backward, hiding herself in the darkness.

That cold voice asked again: “Who are you?”

She was still very curious about who the other party was. As for the phrase “let’s be friends” that followed, Xuan Miao didn’t understand its meaning and ignored it.

It was said that newborn calves weren’t afraid of tigers. Tao Ning, who had forced the tiger to retreat repeatedly, was the first cow.

Tao Ning had to stop where she was and said impatiently: “Didn’t I just say, I’m a villager from down the mountain, my name is Tao Ning. I came here accidentally, my hand got cut while climbing the mountain, and I was looking for water to wash it, and I actually found it.”

Saying this, Tao Ning glanced at the candles all over the ground, muttering softly, “Speaking of which, my house is quite short of candles, can I take a few back later?”

Xuan Miao noticed the wound on her palm, her expression changing slightly: “Blood? Washing hands?”

She turned to look at the calm, unmoving deep pool, speechless for a long time. She did remember something surging into her body when the seal loosened. Could it be her blood?

Seeing that the person didn’t react for a long time, thinking that maybe she hadn’t fully woken up after sleeping for so long, Tao Ning stealthily approached a few steps: “What are you looking at? What’s there? If it’s inconvenient for you, I can help you take a look?”

It sounded like Tao Ning didn’t know that this was the place where Xuan Miao was trapped.

To say she was smart, yet she dared to barge into this ghostly place. To say she was a fool, yet she dared to have ideas about the candles on the ground, not afraid of attracting something.

Like a fluent speaker, but with an unfathomable train of thought.

Making a temporary judgment in her mind, Xuan Miao finally reacted, her brow furrowing: “No.”

Hearing the refusal, Tao Ning didn’t go over, her head poking curiously: “By the way, why are you staying here alone? I’ve never seen you in Lingxiu Village, you… who are you?”

At this time, Xuan Miao was brainstorming, but fluent thinking was still too difficult for a Ghost King who had slept for an unknown number of years.

She had no memory of her past, only instinctively feeling that this would cause some serious consequences.

Xuan Miao said without thinking: “I, Ghost King.”

Even if she had forgotten all her memories, she wouldn’t be unaware of her own strength. Xuan Miao’s intention was to scare this person away so that she could have a chance to figure out what was going on.

For a long time, there was no response.

Could it be that she wasn’t a fool and was now afraid after knowing she was the Ghost King?

Xuan Miao turned to look, only to see the other party with a tangled expression, as if thinking about something she couldn’t understand.

Noticing Xuan Miao’s gaze, Tao Ning said something surprising: “Your name is Ghost King? Such a beautiful lady with such a name, which ghost and which king?”

Was this a question a normal person would ask?

What normal person, after experiencing all this, would ask which ghost and which king while facing someone radiating black energy, instead of running away?

Xuan Miao inexplicably felt a surge of anger stuck in her throat. She really wanted to throw this person out, her sluggish reaction becoming agitated, “You, can’t read?”

“I, should be able to read?” The mischievous part of Tao Ning’s brain twitched, wanting to tease the slightly slow Ghost King.

So she said seriously: “There used to be teachers in elementary school, and I eavesdropped on a few lessons at the door, so are you willing to tell me which ghost and which king your name refers to?”

If 520 were here, it would definitely accuse someone of bullying a single-core processor Ghost King, not afraid of being swallowed whole by the other party if pushed too far, chewed up and eaten without a trace left.

Xuan Miao was furious, her dark eyes turning red: “Should?”

Hearing this, Tao Ning suddenly said: “Sister Ghost King, do you have a stutter?”

Xuan Miao: “…”

Only silence remained in the cave, a deathly silence. The flames of the candles on the ground flickered without a breeze, like someone’s surging anger.

A boundless chill rapidly approached, the temperature in the cave plummeting, so cold that Tao Ning’s eyebrows frosted over, almost sneezing.

Tao Ning’s eyelids twitched, and she covered her mouth with her hand. Oops, oops, she had spoken too quickly.

However, it was too late. Xuan Miao was enraged: “I-I d-don’t! G-Get out! I-Ignorant mortal, d-dare to trespass a-again, and I-I’ll k-kill you!”

It should have been a powerful, threatening statement, but Xuan Miao’s tone made it difficult to be afraid.

Who would have thought that the Ghost King, trapped for who knows how many years, had developed a stutter because she hadn’t spoken for so long?

Coincidentally, the quick-witted Tao Ning had revealed the truth. The Ghost King, who had no memories but wanted to save face, was immediately enraged, her ghostly aura overflowing.

Tao Ning wanted to try to salvage the situation, but before she could speak, Xuan Miao waved her wide sleeves, and a gust of wind swept through.

When she opened her eyes again, Tao Ning found herself standing outside the cave. She subconsciously tried to step back inside, but was blocked by an invisible force.

A cold voice came from the depths of the cave entrance: “Come again, and you will be killed without mercy.”

She had been swept out by the enraged Ghost King sister and wasn’t allowed back in.

Tao Ning had no choice but to stop. After a while, she said: “But my lantern is still in your house, can I go in and get it?”

Something suddenly flew out of the depths of the cave entrance – it was the lantern Tao Ning had mentioned.

It seemed she was determined not to let anyone in. Tao Ning had to give up for now, raising her hand to catch the lantern.

She found that although the Ghost King was angry, she hadn’t damaged her lantern. It was just as it had been when she went in, completely intact.

Tao Ning said: “Thank you. Since you’re busy today, I’ll leave first.”

There was no response from inside, a very aloof Ghost King.

She turned her hand and took out the red candle she had somehow managed to snag from inside. The red candle didn’t extinguish even outside. Tao Ning blew on it, but couldn’t extinguish the seemingly weak flame.

Staring at the red candle for a moment, she looked at the lantern, thinking that if she put this red candle in, wouldn’t she have a lantern that never went out?

Acting immediately, Tao Ning quickly removed the remaining bit of candle inside, put the red candle in, and then examined the lantern, feeling that there was still no change.

A pale yellow light shone from the lantern, illuminating the path beneath her feet.

Tao Ning didn’t throw away the remaining bit of candle, stuffing it into her pocket to take back. Her family was poor, so it was best not to waste anything.

After this exchange, having roughly figured out the Ghost King’s temperament, Tao Ning didn’t linger, going down the mountain to return home.

And she was hungry. She hadn’t eaten anything since setting out in the morning. If she didn’t eat something soon, she would starve to death.

The slender figure, carrying the lantern, left along the path she had come, disappearing among the bamboo shadows.

Sensing that the person lingering in front of the cave had left, the figure standing among the candlelight finally moved, opening her reddened eyes.

Thinking, for the sake of releasing me, I’ll spare her this time.

Although her blood was very tempting, Xuan Miao had exerted considerable effort to restrain herself.

But she had wasted time on her, hadn’t learned anything, and had been asked a bunch of questions, making her ears buzz.

Even now, her mood couldn’t completely calm down, and she felt that the cave was too quiet.

But Xuan Miao knew that she only needed a living sacrifice to fully recover, and the person who released her was the best candidate, but she was unwilling.

The Ghost King, completely unaware that her true nature had been exposed, brooded for a moment before disappearing into the cave, leaving only the candlelight behind.

Tao Ning wasn’t idle on her way down the mountain, thinking about catching something in the river in front of her house to fill her stomach.

While her wife was away, she wouldn’t be too picky about what she ate and wouldn’t cause trouble.

Eating fish was the most direct way for Tao Ning to solve her hunger at this stage.

Although this small village wasn’t big and its resources weren’t abundant, villages like this usually relied on the mountains for sustenance, using the mountain’s resources to live.

But Lingxiu Village was special. The mountain next to the village was home to the Mountain God, and almost no one would go hunting in the mountains, let alone cross the mountains to go elsewhere.

They could only rely on the large river at the entrance of the village for survival. However, scarcity of resources was normal in infinite flow worlds. Although everyone in Lingxiu Village seemed lively and bustling, not many actually needed food.

Various crops and food were enough for the remaining people to share. Those who lived in isolation like Tao Zi could only rely on themselves, only receiving a share at the beginning of the annual festival.

Yes, this merged small world had merged itself into an infinite flow world. At intervals, new groups would wander into Lingxiu Village to face its instance , and those who safely survived the Mountain God Festival could leave.

They would enter Lingxiu Village seven days before the Mountain God Festival and stay in the villagers’ homes.

As Tao Zi, she had already seen many people come to Lingxiu Village to participate in the Mountain God Festival.

These people included both men and women, of various identities and ages.

Each time they arrived, they would be filled with fear and curiosity, calling themselves tourists coming to experience life in an ancient village.

Thinking of this, Tao Ning finally remembered. It seemed that Tao Zi’s roof had been damaged by the previous batch of “tourists.”

Someone in the previous batch of tourists wanted to go up the mountain to see what the Mountain God was all about. As a result, night fell, and the white fog began to spread.

After arguing, they discovered Tao Zi’s house and, after some threats, spent the night there. After daybreak, the tourists left, leaving Tao Zi distressed by the large hole in her roof.

Of course, those tourists who had broken through the roof had all stayed on the mountain forever.

There were other tourists down the mountain. Some died, sacrificed to the Mountain God, and some survived the Mountain God Festival and left alive.

The name of this world’s instance was “The Mountain God’s Bride.” In other words, Tao Ning was now an NPC named Tao Zi.

Thinking about this, Tao Ning suddenly stopped on the mountainside, seemingly listening to something.

But there was only the faint sound of wind around her, no other sounds, not even the chirping of birds or insects.

Daytime was about to end, night was approaching, and the white fog would soon rise.

A voice that only Tao Ning could hear rang in her ears: [Ding! Mission issued: Sever the marriage line between the Ghost King female lead and the Taoist male lead.]

After two worlds, the progress bar, which had remained still, lit up again, then stopped at 30%.

The figure standing on the mountainside looked down. From her height, she could just take in the entire Lingxiu Village. Looking further into the distance, she could see the long river at the entrance of the village.

This river had existed here since ancient times. Its water was slightly dark, like a black ribbon separating the village from the outside world. The villagers could only leave by boat from the ferry.

The same was true for tourists. If they wanted to leave Lingxiu Village, there was no other way.

Tao Zi had seen terrified tourists running into the forests on either side in panic, or jumping into the river to swim away, all without exception losing their lives to some unknown entity.

As dusk fell over the mountain, and the ominous white fog surrounded the peaks, a modern-looking tour bus drove along the winding mountain road.

The bright yellow tour bus carried its passengers, arriving before nightfall, and finally stopped at the ferry.

Many people got off the bus, dressed in various clothes. Some were in suits and leather shoes, while others carried baskets in their hands.

Tao Ning narrowed her eyes and counted, about ten people got off, only two of them looked calm, the others were filled with fear.

The ant-like crowd talked amongst themselves, some exploding in anger, others kneeling and crying, unconsciously moving closer to the two who were still standing.

In unfamiliar environments, people always subconsciously huddled together, and a calm leader was the anchor for the group.

As everyone’s emotions stabilized, several boats broke through the thin white fog on the river.

Boats with lanterns hanging from their bows stopped at the ferry. It was the village chief, leading several strong young men from the village to greet the tourists. Besides the boats brought by the village chief, they had also brought three more.

The apprehensive crowd exchanged nervous glances, and finally, someone stepped onto a boat.

One person finally couldn’t bear the eerie environment, shouted something, and ran back in the direction the bus had come from.

The rest boarded the boats, no one calling back the person who ran away.

Now, the ten-person tour group was down to nine.

Elsewhere, a young man in indigo cloth arrived at the village entrance, carrying a long sword, his hair tied up in a bun.

He used a wooden stick to lift a wooden sign entangled with withered vines. Three blood-red, partially obscured characters were written on it.

The young man’s eyes focused, and he read the characters aloud: “Lingxiu Village, this is it.”